Switch for stop lights



C. A. MICHEL SWITCH FOR STOP LGHTS Filed Dec. 24

jam 2(0). 1925, l

mu. f.

Patented Jan. 20, 1925.

i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

CLARENCE A. MICHEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR- TO' THE GUIDE MOTOR LAMP COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SwITcH ron STOP LIGHTS.

Application led December 24, 1921. Serial No. 524,756.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLARENCE A. MICHEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Switches for Stop Lights, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates generally to a switch for electric lights and more particularly to a switch for use in connection with the circuit of signal lights employed upon the rear end of automobiles, said switch being operably connected with the brake lever or some movable motor control, the object of the invention being to provide an exceedingly simple form of switch and at the same time strong and. durable. Another object is to provide a switch which can be easily attached to any convenient portion of the motor frame or body.

With these various objects in view the invention consists of the novel features of construction and combination of the parts, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a horizontalsectional view of one form of switch embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same; and Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on the line 8-3 of Fig. 2. In carrying out my invention I employ a sheet metal casing 10 preferably formed with integral ears or flanges 11 by means of which the casing can be secured to the automobile frame or body. At one end of said casing and upon opposite sides thereof are arranged the insulating plates 12 and 13 which are apertured, and likewise the end of the casing, and through which are passed the binding posts 14 and 15, the heads thereof being arranged withinl the casing and nuts 14Ea and 141 are employed to secure the conductor wire 14C; and nuts 15al and 15b are employe-d to secure the conductor wire 15, said wires constituting a part of the electric circuit. A rod 16 slides horizontallyv through the ends 'of-thev casing, said rod having a coil spring 17 connected -to one end thereof, said coil spring in tur-n being connected with the brake or motor control not shown. Within 19a as most clearly shown in Fig. l and it will be noted that the free ends of the contact plate 2O are curved away from the insulating member 19. This contact plate is preferably vmade of some suitable spring material and when the rod 16 is pulled the contact plate will be brought into engagement with the heads of the binding posts and a rm and positive contact established, the resiliency of the contact plate permitting t-he same to yield while the contact is being made. lVhen tension or pressure is released the contact is broken by means of the coil spring 21 which surrounds the rod within the casing and bears upon the front side thereof and also against the yoke 18 causing the rod to be drawn back and carrying with it the contact plate through the medium of the insulating member and the yoke. The rod 16 is formed with a fin or shoulder 16a against which the yoke is held by means of the spring 21.

The casing, yoke and contact plate are all stamped from sheet metal and consequently are inexpensive to fabricate and the parts are so constructed that the entire device may be quickly and easily assembled. Furthermore, there is nothing to get Jout .of order in the operation of the device and the constant making and breaking of the contact does'not vtend to wear any of the parts as does occur in switches having sliding contacts. It will thus be seen that I'provide a simple and highly eiiicient switch for the purposes intended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with a casing having insulators applied to one side thereof, of binding posts connected to said side and insulated therefrom, a rod working through the insulated side of said casing, a yoke connected to said' rod, an insulating plate connected to said yoke, said insulating plate having a central opening, and a contact plate also having a central opening connected to the insulating plate, the outer ends toward and away from said posts.

2. In a device of theI kind described the combination With a pair of binding posts insulated from each other, 'of a rod Workin@ between the posts, a yoke carried by said rod, an insulating plate connected to the yoke at its outer edges, said insulating plate having an opening through which the rod passes, a contact plate also having an openv ing and connected to the insulating plate at the edges of the opening in said plate, said Contact plate being adapted to be brought into contact with the binding posts when the rod is moved in one direction and means for moving the rod and yoke in the opposite direction.

3. The combination with a casing having an insulated side, of binding posts connected thereto, a rod sliding in the casing, a yoke connected to said rod, an insulating membel` and a contact plate, the yoke having means for retaining the insulating member and the contact plate having means for connecting said plate to said insulatingmembei', and a sp1-ing vsurrounding the l'od and v bearing upon the insulated side of the oasing and yoke to withdraw the contaot plate to break the circuit.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto vailix my signature.

o. A. MICHEL. 

